New dualities in convex quadrilaterals

Abstract

In [1] de Villiers points out the duality between sides and angles of quadrilaterals. The first objective of this article is make explicit two new dualities in the quadrilaterals. For this we will consider the diagonal segments: if diagonals AC and BD of a quadrilateral ABCD intersect at O, we call the diagonal segments OA, OB, OC, OD. According to [2, pp. 179-188], hierarchical classifications of the convex quadrilaterals are made taking as classification criteria the quantity and position of sides, angles and diagonal segments. In hierarchical classifications the more particular concepts form subsets of the more general concepts. Through classification according to the number and position of equal sides it is possible to define six families: four sides equal, at least three equal, two opposite pairs equal, two consecutive pairs equal, at least one opposite pair equal, at least one consecutive pair equal. In the families two opposite pairs equal and two consecutive pairs equal, the pairs may be equal to each other and then the four sides are equal. So in these two families the possibility DA = AB and AB = BC is excluded. Families analogous to the previous ones can be defined taking as a criterion of hierarchical classification the quantity and position of equal angles or the quantity and position of equal diagonal segments.